Hanchao Lu Bücher

The author, a professor of Asian history, explores the cultural and social dynamics of early 20th-century Shanghai in "Beyond the Neon Lights." This work delves into the everyday lives of its inhabitants, providing insight into the city's vibrant culture beyond its famous neon-lit facade. In "Street Criers," he examines the historical context of Chinese beggars, shedding light on their roles and significance in society. Both works reflect a deep engagement with the cultural history of China, offering unique perspectives on urban life and social structures.

How did ordinary people live through the extraordinary changes that have swept across modern China? How did peasants transform themselves into urbanites? How did the citizens of Shanghai cope with the epic upheavals―revolution, war, and again revolution―that shook their lives? Even after decades of scholarship devoted to modern Chinese history, our understanding of the daily lives of the common people of China remains sketchy and incomplete. In this carefully researched study, Hanchao Lu weaves rich documentary data with ethnographic surveys and interviews to reconstruct the fabric of everyday life in China's largest and most complex city in the first half of this century.

A rich and captivating social and political history of Shanghai, one of the world's most complex cities, under high socialism. Using the metaphor of Tai Chi, Hanchao Lu explores how people experienced and adapted to a new Maoist political culture that epitomizes state-society relations in a communist country.